


Unforgiven

by EmperorSeramir



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Civil War Team Iron Man, Depressed Tony Stark, Despair, Except Wanda, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Natasha Is Not A Robot, Not Steve Friendly, Not Steve Rogers Friendly, Song Lyrics, The Avengers Care
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:01:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22589086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmperorSeramir/pseuds/EmperorSeramir
Summary: Okay, so to start of there will be a trigger warning there is suicide in this fic so read at your own discretion. This is my first Marvel and one-shot fic. I love Tony Stark and feel as though the movies outright abuse him since everyone generally lays blame at Tony's feet and he just accepts it. Tony Stark is my favorite hero since he made his suit, it wasn't handed to him, it wasn't granted to him for a good deed, and he didn't get it by accident. However I don't think the directors fully explored Tony's emotions and his internal turmoil, but Robert Downey Jr did an amazing job portraying Tony and wouldn't have anyone else play Tony Stark.
Comments: 35
Kudos: 231





	Unforgiven

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so to start of there will be a trigger warning there is suicide in this fic so read at your own discretion. This is my first Marvel and one-shot fic. I love Tony Stark and feel as though the movies outright abuse him since everyone generally lays blame at Tony's feet and he just accepts it. Tony Stark is my favorite hero since he made his suit, it wasn't handed to him, it wasn't granted to him for a good deed, and he didn't get it by accident. However I don't think the directors fully explored Tony's emotions and his internal turmoil, but Robert Downey Jr did an amazing job portraying Tony and wouldn't have anyone else play Tony Stark.

It’s been a few weeks since the Civil War, Tony Stark has made no announcement to the public about what had happened or about getting the now Rogues back. No one has seen or heard from him, but Pepper Potts has confirmed that Tony is alive and still recovering. The public is confused as to why the Avengers would split up like they did, the only thing that they can draw from is the Sokovia Accords. However, based on what majority of the public has read of the Accords they gather that it was meant to provide oversight to prevent tragedies like Sokovia, Lagos, and any future tragedies. Granted the public acknowledges the punishments don’t seem to fit the crime, but no newly made law is perfect and amendments WILL be made. So why would the Avengers split up, surely it wouldn’t be because of the Accords. The Avengers are supposed to save, help, and protect people so why would they go against something that is meant to protect the public?

The Rogues are of course displeased with how they’re being treated by the world outside of Wakanda. T’Challa has been provided them with shelter in his palace, food, and places to sleep while also having his scientists try to help Sergeant Barnes. However, it isn’t the same as the compound, something is missing, but they don’t know what it is. Their solution is to try to get the public back on their side, but in order to do that they’re going to need the best PR team the world has to offer. Their plan is to sneak into America, find Tony and convince him to help them.

Natasha looks at Steve as she comments “It’s a good plan in theory, but there’s no guarantee that he’ll help us. He obviously sides with the Accords and he isn’t the same man he was several years ago, as much as I may like for this plan to work it seems a bit unrealistic.” Steve replies as he looks at her “It’s the only plan we’ve got, the world needs the Avengers, the world needs heroes to protect them. Once we show Tony how wrong he was I know he’ll help us.” Natasha looks down as she pinches the bridge of her nose while Clint scoffs “Like Stark would help anyone, but himself.”

Sam adds “I hate to say it, but I’m with them on this, it doesn’t really seem like a good idea.” Steve counters “If we don’t do this now, then when? We need to do this now while there’s still something to salvage, it isn’t the best plan, but it’s the only one we’ve got.” Steve looks at Clint “You want to see your wife and kids?” Clint looks at Steve as he answers “Of course I do!”

Scott asks uncertainly “Can Stark even help us?” Steve answers as he looks at Scott “Tony is arrogant and petty, but he knows when it’s time to put his feelings aside when it’s necessary.” Wanda huffs as she crosses her arms “Once this is done, we should make sure Stark doesn’t get in our way again. He doesn’t care about anyone, but himself so he has no right to call himself an Avenger.” Clint, Sam, and Scott nod in agreement before Steve says “We’ll discuss it after we’ve gotten back.” Natasha thinks to herself as she looks at the rest of the Rogues “This isn’t going to work like how they think.”

The Rogues use their Quinjet in order to sneak out of Wakanda and into America during the night, they land a few yards away from the compound so they won’t alert Tony to their arrival. Natasha hacks into the system and shuts down the security program before they all sneak in. As they quietly sneak in, they hear a piano playing in the dark with ambient security lights shining throughout the halls and rooms. They faintly hear Tony’s voice further in the compound as he sings softly.

“New blood joins this earth

And quickly he’s subdued

Through constant pain, disgraced

The young boy learns their rules”

The Rogues continue to quietly sneak towards Tony’s position as he continues to sing seemingly unaware of their arrival.

“With time the child draws in

This whipping boy done wrong

Deprived of all his thoughts

The young man struggles on

And on he’s known

A vow unto his own

That never from this day

His will they’ll take away”

The Rogues come to the living room where Tony is sitting at his grand piano with a glass of scotch sitting on top of it in front of him as he continues to play. They continue to watch in curiosity from the doorway.

“What I’ve felt, what I’ve known

Never shined through what I’ve shown

Never be, never see

Won’t see what might’ve been

What I’ve felt, what I’ve known

Never shined through what I’ve shown

Never free, never me

So I dub thee unforgiven”

Clint, Sam, and Scott recognize the song as Unforgiven by Metallica, but this is the first time any of the Rogues have seen or heard Tony play or even sing.

“They dedicate their lives

To running all of his

He tries to please them all

This bitter man he is

Throughout his life the same

He’s battled constantly

This fight he cannot win

A tired man they see no longer cares”

Natasha notices Tony’s cheek glistening as if he had been crying or that…he is crying. The Rogues begin to feel the sorrow in Tony’s voice as the listen to the music

“The old man then prepares

To die regretfully

That old man here is me

What I’ve felt, what I’ve known

Never shined through what I’ve shown

Never be, never see

Won’t see what might’ve been

What I’ve felt, what I’ve known

Never shined through what I’ve shown

Never free, never me

So I dub thee unforgiven”

Tony begins to play the solo of the song letting the music display his feeling of pain and despair. Steve begins to feel guilty as he recalls how he’s treated Tony for all these years, how he always assumed Tony cared about his ego, his money, or his fame. He recalls how Tony took them in, gave them their equipment and weapons, provided them a roof over their heads, food in their stomachs, and made sure they were comfortable. Tony did all of that without being asked to, he did all of that with no thought of himself, because despite how Tony seemed he always cared about others more than himself.

“What I’ve felt, what I’ve known

Never shined through what I’ve shown

Never be, never see

Won’t see what might’ve been

What I’ve felt, what I’ve known

Never shined through what I’ve shown

Never free, never me

So I dub thee unforgiven

Never free, never me

So I dub thee unforgiven

You labeled me

I label you

So I dub thee unforgiven

Never free, never me

So I dub thee unforgiven

You labeled me

I label you

So I dub thee unforgiven

Never free, never me

So I dub thee unforgiven”

As the song ends Tony reaches for his scotch and swallows it in one gulp before placing it back down as he looks down. Natasha carefully steps forward which catches Tony’s attention, he calmly looks over at the doorway to see the Rogues with various expressions of guilt, worry, uncertainty, and anger. Tony doesn’t smile or do anything other than say “I was expecting you all would show up sooner or later.” Natasha asks worryingly since she’s seen Tony look like this once before “Tony, are you okay?” Tony laughs mirthlessly as he looks back down “No Rushman…I don’t think I am.”

Hearing her former alias makes Natasha worry even more, but she doesn’t step any closer since she isn’t sure how Tony will react. Steve steps forward “Tony we need your help, you must understand that the world needs the Avengers.” Tony simply hums uncommittingly before Steve continues “You must see that the Accords are wrong, you saw what they did to us.” Tony replies as he looks at Steve “I saw you all being punished for your crimes.”

Steve goes to argue, but Tony speaks first “You attacked police officers who were only doing their jobs, now they’re in the hospital suffering and that’s the ones who survived.” Steve looks at Tony surprised “Surprisingly normal people can’t take a hit from a super soldier or from a vibranium shield. You also dropped a bridge on a bunch of civilians without a second thought, not to mention the amount of property damage you caused throughout your chase.” Steve argues “They were going to kill Bucky for a crime he didn’t commit!”

Tony counters “I seem to recall them detaining Sergeant Barnes and trying to get a psychologist to help get rid of his triggers.” Steve replies angrily “They got Zemo.” Tony raises a finger as he points out “No, they got a psychologist that Zemo killed and impersonated. Their goal wasn’t to kill Barnes without giving him a proper trial.” Tony lowers his hand “While it is entirely possible that Barnes would have been given the death penalty, it would’ve taken a lot of time to get to that point. Do you have any idea how many criminals are on death row?”

Tony adds as he looks away “Besides if you had simply told me what was going on to begin with, we could’ve avoided the whole ‘Civil War’, but you didn’t because you didn’t trust me because you never trusted me.” Steve replies “That’s not true.” Tony looks at Steve angrily as he asks “Then why didn’t you call me when you found out Shield had been infiltrated by Hydra. If I recall correctly you said your reason was ‘you didn’t know who you could trust’, so you didn’t trust me and that was before Ultron.”

Tony continues “Speaking of Ultron, not a single one of you gave me a chance to defend myself or even try to understand what it was that I was trying to accomplish. The Avengers can do a lot of things, but taking on an alien army by ourselves wasn’t something I wanted to repeat.” Wanda argues “So you instead created a murderous robot!” Tony glances at Wanda as he counters “It’s because of the vision you gave me that made me believe Ultron was necessary.”

Natasha asks surprised “What do you mean?” Tony chuckles sadly as he looks down “The vision Maximoff gave me showed me the Chitauri army invading earth again as I saw you all dead or dying around me.” Tony looks back at Steve as he says “You told me that I could’ve done more that I could’ve saved us, but that wasn’t the worst of it.” Adds as tears fall from his eyes “The worst part was that everyone was dead around me…but I wasn’t.”

None of the Rogues were expecting that and all of them except Wanda look at Tony in sadness and compassion. Steve says softly as Tony reaches to his left “Tony.” Tony says “Don’t… Don’t start acting like you care now just because you feel guilty.” Steve replies “But I do care Tony, you’re my friend.”

Tony quotes “‘He’s my friend.’” Tony looks Steve in the eyes “So was I.” Steve takes a step back in shock as Tony just repeated their lines from back in the bunker. Tony then asks “If I was really your friend at any point in time then why didn’t you tell me.” Steve opens and closes his mouth unable to come up with an answer as Natasha looks at Steve as she asks “What’s he talking about?” Steve looks at Natasha with guilt before she says angrily “You promised me you’d tell him.”

Steve replies “I couldn’t if I had then he would’ve tried to kill Bucky.” Tony cuts in “I never wanted to kill Barnes, I was angry, I was stressed, I was in pain, and I was grieving. If I had wanted to kill Barnes I would’ve used my one-shot laser or one of my missiles or I would have gone for his head or heart instead of his metal arm.” Sam asks “What’s he talking about Steve?” Tony answers “My parents didn’t die from a car accident.”

Everyone looks at Tony “They were murdered…by the winter soldier.” Natasha looks at Steve furiously while Steve looks down in shame while Clint, Sam, and Scott gasp in shock at this revelation. Tony continues “Zemo showed me a video of my parents being murdered by Sergeant Barnes. When I asked Rogers if he knew he tried to say ‘I had my suspicions’, but when I called him out on it he admitted that he knew.” Everyone except Wanda steps away from Steve in horror, anger, and distrust.

Tony asks as he looks at Steve “Do you have any idea how much I hated my dad for thinking that it was his fault he got my mom killed because he was driving drunk? Do you have any idea what it was like burying my parents? Do you have any idea how much I hated myself for hating my dad? Do you have any idea how that felt for me only to find out that they were murdered?!” Steve counters “It wasn’t Bucky’s fault!” Tony yells “But it was his hands that did it!”

Steve is unable to come up with a counter argument before Tony says after he has calmed down “I’m guessing you all came here to convince me to get you all pardoned, but I’m not going to do that.” Steve goes to step forward as he reaches out “Tony.” Tony looks at Steve tiredly “I assume that plan A didn’t work you’re going to have Maximoff use her powers to make me do what you want.” Steve argues as Wanda raises her hands in preparation “I would never do that!”

Natasha notices Tony reaching for something on his left before she asks “Tony…what’s in your hand.” Tony looks at Natasha sadly before he pulls his hand up to show he has a pistol in his hand, Steve holds his hands up in surrender “Come on Tony let’s talk about this, we don’t want to hurt you.” Tony replies as his body shivers “You’ve already hurt me enough.” Tony puts the gun under his chin as everyone’s eyes widen in realization and rush to stop him, he then pulls the trigger.


End file.
